First day

  Arrival  at the “El. Venizelos” airport of “Athens”
  (Please note that visitors from the U.S.A., Canada or Asia, should depart from their country one day in advance)

  Transfer from the Airport to the Hotel – check in
  Rest of the day and afternoon, free

  20:00 Private welcome dinner. Venue to be determined at a later stage.
  Will include:
  -Welcome speech
  -Presentation of the Marathon race and other important technical information (by our specialist/ marathoner)
  -Three course dinner with background music

  At the end of the dinner we will distribute to you your Personal Registration Kit that includes:
  • Bib number and safety pins
  • Timing Chip
  • Kit plastic bag and baggage label with your bib number stamped on it

  In addition, you will get:
  -The Program of the Marathon day
  -Information on the Marathon Expo
  -A folder with the Presentation that you have already followed
  -The analytical program of your 12-day stay in Greece
  -A map of Athens and of the area you will visit

Second day

  09:30 Guided visit of the new “Acropolis Museum” and the “Acropolis”.
  13:00 Traditional dishes’ lunch in one of the restaurants of “Plaka”, the oldest neighborhood of Athens under the rock of Acropolis.

  After lunch, you could stroll around the picturesque streets of Plaka before going back to your Hotel.

  For an easy or recovery run, we suggest the “Dionyssiou Areopagitou” pedestrian street or the “National Garden”.

  18:00 Transportation to the South suburb of P. Phaleron to visit the “Marathon Expo”, the annual gathering of the international running community.  Sport products and entertainment get together here. Free entrance.

  20:30 Night sightseeing tour of Athens’s major attractions (“Kallimarmaro Stadium”, included) and transfer back to the hotel around 22:00.

Third day

  Morning (exact time to bedetermined) Transportation to the “Marathon Tomb”  where the Opening   Ceremony of the Athens Classical Marathon takes place.
  The ceremony consists of: “Lighting of the Marathon Flame, Torch Relay and Lighting of the Altar”

  Visit of the “Marathon Race Museum”
  Lunch at a restaurant of the area with Greek cuisine.

  Please note that in this ceremony there are no seats available. Visitors can watch the torch relay from a distance and the lighted Altar in the provided space inside the Marathon Race Museum.

  Rest of the day free

Fourth day

  “Run the Authentic”

  During the entire day, you will follow the program of the organizers.
  Relevant detailed program has been handed over to you during welcome dinner.

Fifth day

  Morning free
  11:30 Transportation to “Cape Sounion – Temple of Poseidon” and guided tour.
  Lunch in a typical Greek fish tavern by the sea.
  Return to the Hotel around 18:00 hrs.
  Rest of the day free.

Sixth day

  One day cruise to the islands of the Saronic Sea.
  07:15 Departure from Hotel
  You will visit “Poros”, “Aegina” and “Hydra”. You will have the time to stroll around each island’s harbor.   Lunch, dinner, dance, inside the cruise ship.

Seventh day

  09:00 Departure from Athens for a 5-day, fully guided, tour around central, east and south Greek mainland.  Please take with you all your belongings.

  Athens – Delphi.  Distance 180 km – trip duration approx. 2 hours and 30’.

  With evocative ruins surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery, “Delphi” is surely the most beautiful ancient site in Greece.

Lunch at a restaurant of the area with local specialties.

Delphi – Kalambaka.  Distance 230 km – trip duration approx. 3 hours and 30’
Check in at the hotel around 19:00, where, you can offer yourself dinner or just drinks.

Eighth day

  09:30 Departure from hotel to visit “Meteora”.  Visually, Meteora is simply one of the most startling attractions in Greece.

  Kalambaka  via Metsovo to Ioannina.
  Distance 115 km – trip duration approx. 2 hours.

  Around 14:00 lunch in “Metsovo”, the traditional village on Mount Pindos (1.160 meters altitude)

  Arrival in Ioannina around 18:00
  Check in at the Hotel.  Offer yourself a nice dinner in one of the many tavernas of the city.

Nineth day

  09:30  Sightseeing tour of the old city of “Ioannina” and the Fortress. Visit of the lake “Pamvotis” with the   famous “island of Ioannina”, the homonymus Museum and the Monastery of Philanthropinos with the   outstanding frescoes.
  Small excursion to Ancient “Dodona” (distance 20 km-30’ drive), reputedly the oldest Hellenic oracle, to   admire the ancient amphitheatre.

  Lunch at a local restaurant with traditional food.
  Rest of the day free for you to further explore the beauties of Ioannina or to visit the Perama Cave only four     kilometers away from the city. It closes at 20:00

Tenth day

  10:00 Departure from Ioannina via Messolonghi and the bridge of “Antirion” to Olympia. Distance 340 km – trip duration 5 hours.

  Half the way, we will stop for a short visit in “Messolonghi” the small village with the vast history that Lord   Byron loved and admired.
  13:30 Lunch with fresh fish, by the lagoon of Messolonghi.

  Arrival in Olympia around 18:00
  Check in at the Hotel, where you can offer yourself dinner or drinks.

Eleventh day

  09:00 Tour of the ruins of “Ancient Olympia” sanctuary and the stadium where the Olympic Games started, as well as the homonymous museum

  Olympia via Mantinea, to Athens. Distance 270 km – trip duration approx. 4 hours and 30’.

  Half the way we will stop, at around 14:00, for a good buy lunch at the Domain Spyropoulos. Enjoy the taste of varieties of really good wine, directly from the cellars of the  winery.

  On our way back to Athens, we will cross the “Corinth canal” that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the   Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea
  Arrival in Athens around 19:00.  Check in at the hotel.
  Rest of the evening free

Twelfth day

  Departure from the hotel, for El. Venizelos Athens Airport 3 hours before the flight’s scheduled time of departure.

Remarks

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